


She Deserves To Know

by The_White_Wolf



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family, Gen, One Shot, Pining, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25950622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_White_Wolf/pseuds/The_White_Wolf
Summary: Oliver returns home during his third year as an ARGUS asset and decides to try to make amends with his family. (One-shot)
Relationships: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, Oliver Queen & Thea Queen
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	She Deserves To Know

Oliver slowly blinked his eyes open, his head felt like it was about to explode, he could just make out a silhouette of a woman in a suit in front of him. Amanda Waller. Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose, in a vain attempt to quell his headache and groaned.

Oliver sat up glaring at the woman, as she calmly informed him that he hadn't been killed. And judging by the man next to him, neither had Maseo. Of course, they haven't been killed. A dead man and his handler were too valuable of a commodity to just throw away. China White had left Hong Kong and was now here in his home town. Starling City.

He could just make out Queen Consolidated, and Merlyn Global Group building dominating the city skyline. Oliver let out a sigh, he was home. Perhaps he could attempt to make things right with Laurel, even if it was a tiny gesture.

The armored town car bypassed the road that would lead to the city center, which would head towards his family's company, and they kept going, past a Big Belly Burger that he, Tommy, Laurel, and some others would go to after a night out. They drove past Laurel's father's precinct and eventually into the Glades.

His father's voice on the raft echoed in the back of his mind as if his ghost was sitting beside him, _"I didn't build this city. I failed it. And I wasn't the only one."_ The Glades was the disenfranchised area of the city, the place where people who could barely meet ends meet would live. And the unfortunate truth is that some of these people that lived in this neighborhood would be forced into a life of crime just to eat.

The car came to a halt, and he was escorted out of the car, and when one of the guards jabbed a pistol into his side, Waller just flicked her wrists. "That will not be necessary. Our _guest_ understands that his sister can simply be nudged off the proverbial cliff she is on. Don't you agree, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver glared at the woman, "Yes." he muttered.

After the briefing in the hotel, Oliver followed Maseo down to the streets, to head towards Queen Consolidated. Waller had specifically told him not to contact anyone, or their lives would be forfeited. She had also told him that had to keep his obnoxious beard, as no one would associate a Queen looking like he did currently. His cheeks felt like it itched, no matter what he did.

While Maseo was placing a tracker on Peter Kang's car, he decided he was going to resolve one of his issues, and bend Waller's rules. Oliver, wearing his sunglasses and hoody, headed to the gas station. He walked past the cashier, keeping his face hidden, and walked down several aisles and discreetly looked for any camera's upon seeing none, Oliver swiped a razor and a pair of scissors and headed into the restroom.

Oliver looked at himself in the mirror, he looked like a homeless bum. Perhaps that was what Waller had intended him to look like. Though her words were to keep his beard. She never said how much he had to keep, so he shaved his cheeks and tidied up around his mustache and chin.

Oliver touched his chin, to feel the coarse hair. He felt cleaner. He felt like he had some semblance of control, even if it was over something as stupid and trivial as his facial hair. Even if he didn't technically violate Waller's boundaries. It felt like he was giving her the middle finger to her authoritarian leadership.

His eyes moved towards a newspaper, he looked at the headlines to see that Starling City Rockets, his Dad's favorite team, had won. The Starling Rockets had smashed the Gotham Knights 13-0. Just thinking of his Dad, his heart ached, he hadn't thought of his dad for a while. He had been too busy surviving. It all felt surreal being back home, but not being allowed to visit the people that made Starling his home made it harder.

He returned to sit in the car, and noticed Maseo give him a double-take, and sighed. "She won't like that." Maseo sighed again, as he gestured to his own face.

"I don't care." It was a stupid childish retort, but he was getting irritated at being used as a puppet.

"Did you even look in the mirror when you shaved, Oliver? You look like a cartoon."

"I like it," Oliver said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. Thankfully, Maseo let the topic about his facial hair drop, when they noticed Kang leaving his car, and entering Queen Consolidated. Maseo briefed him again, telling him that he had to go in at night and access the QC network.

Oliver sighed looking out of the car window and noticed a familiar face and dark hair. His little sister wasn't so little anymore. She wasn't wearing pigtails and held Bratz dolls in her hand. She had grown into a beautiful young woman. His baby sister had grown up without him. He had missed out on so much.

He felt so old, and also like the worst brother in the world. He had missed so much of her life. All because of his stupid impulsive decisions. And now, he was forced to look at his own sister from afar, like some sort of pariah, or stalker. An outsider looking in. A person who was without the means to provide for himself, looking to a family that never had to struggle for the basic necessities. Is this how the impoverished, and needy people felt when they looked at him from afar back when he made the news as a playboy millionaire?

"Oh my god.." Oliver mumbled as Maseo continued to tell Oliver why he was needed.

"Who is that?" Maseo asked.

Oliver felt his eyes sting, as he watched Thea walk down the steps in front of QC without a care in the world, and opened a car door, and disappeared. Speedy was all grown up and didn't need her big brother anymore. Not that he was ever around.

"That's my sister, Thea," Oliver whispered. "Tommy, Laurel, and I always called her Speedy growing up. She was always trailing after me when I was home. A shadow I couldn't escape."

All Maseo did was give him a look of pity, "I know this is hard, Oliver. And as much as it pains me to say this, the best thing for her is to continue to believe you are dead, lest she follows your father to the grave."

Oliver wiped his face, "Can we at least follow her for a little bit?" Oliver asked, sounding more vulnerable than he would care to admit. "I promise I won't make contact. I just need to be with her for a little bit. Even if it is from afar, and she doesn't know I'm here."

"We have a few hours until we need to get ready for your mission," Maseo said softly, taking another glance at him, before following the car that Thea was currently in.

They followed the town car Thea was in, eventually stopping outside The Queen Manor. He had forgotten the little things, the look of the manicured lawn, the smell of Raisa's cooking. Just the thought of Raisa's cooking reminded him of how he had learned to cook, and had impressed Laurel with his culinary expertise.

They followed the car from a distance and stopped behind the brush as her car came to a halt. He watched as Thea climbed out of the car and knelt next to his empty grave, saying something outside of his hearing before she stood up and talked to a stranger. It looked like he was giving his sister drugs. He closed his eyes. Waller wasn't lying. His sister was hurting so much because of him that she was trying to find peace through taking narcotics. She was trying to numb the pain that she was feeling. he could relate to that. If he didn't have an objective, a purpose, and had the means to dull his senses, he may have done the same on Lian Yu.

It wasn't long before he heard his best friend's voice, he sounded so disappointed in Thea. He marched towards Oliver's sister as if she were his own. She practically was, considering how often Tommy was at the mansion growing up, and how Tommy had been around while he was 'dead'. He told her that she wasn't invited to his party. Hearing her argument with him made his eyes sting, especially when Tommy retorted by saying that not a day goes by that he doesn't think about him. Oliver felt mildly guilty, while he had thought of Tommy, it was usually Laurel that kept him going, the person that occupied his thoughts when he wasn't in a life or death situation.

Did that make him a bad person? If it did, it would be the tip of the iceberg.

What Thea said next made him want to sprint across the manicured yard and hold his sister in his arms, and would have if Waller didn't have Thea in her cross-hairs. He felt powerless, he couldn't tell her just how wrong she was, he always loved and cared for her even when he didn't show it.

After Thea had returned to the mansion, and the other man had left, Oliver felt himself stewing in the car, ignoring Maseo who was idly talking about his plans for when his tenure with ARGUS was up. He wanted to settle down with Tatsu, and grow old with Akio, and any other kids they have together.

Oliver bit his tongue, he didn't have that future, not while he was a trigger-man for ARGUS. He had to do something for Thea and tell Laurel that he still loved her, that he hadn't cheated on her with Sara. Perhaps if Laurel would take Speedy under her wing, they could look after each other? It was a long shot, and he may have been trying to repair bridges without talking to them even if they didn't deserve that. They deserved to speak to him, to blame him for the circumstances.

Maseo gently patted his shoulder, telling him it was time to leave. By the time he and Maseo had returned to Queen Consolidated, Oliver felt his stomach twist, he felt guilty at letting Thea believe that he didn't care. Maseo gave him a quick briefing before Oliver entered, Oliver evaded the guards and ascended to his father's office.

He moved around the old oak table and looked at the photographs of him, Thea, and the rest of his family. He even spotted a photograph from the last Christmas party he had celebrated. He smiled as he saw the family photo that included Laurel, his arm wrapped around her waist. God, she must hate him. He had taken her sister on the stupid boat, even if his intentions were pure, to provide a free ride for Sara to China. He found out later that only her mother knew.

Oliver felt his chest tighten, as he traced Laurel's face with his index finger. She probably thought that he was cheating on her with Sara. And with both of them _dead,_ she couldn't confront them, or find out the truth, leaving his infidelity to be the only logical thing that she could extrapolate. God knows that he hasn't always been the most faithful partner to her.

Laurel deserved to know the truth.

 _"You in position?"_ Maseo asked, snapping Oliver from his thoughts.

Oliver cleared his throat, "Yeah." Another reminder that just because he was home, didn't mean that he _was_ home. Not with Waller acting like a despot threatening everyone he loves, and doing the same to Maseo.

He followed Maseo's directions, using the fingerprint scanner, remembering that his father had made it a game when he was little. He also remembered Thea laughing at the light as it scanned her finger. He plugged in the drive and started running the program before he found something that caught his eye. A file with his name and one for Thea as well. He copied the files on a thumb-drive and left the building like a ghost.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver left while Waller and Maseo were busy decrypting information on Kang and China White. He had something more important to do than searching for information on White. He needed to protect his family. He still remembered Quentin being resolute in protecting his girls, he would do anything to protect them. Perhaps he could do something similar in regards to Thea? Even if he wasn't going to actually speak to her.

He walked through the horde of partiers and felt like he was more alone than he had ever felt. He always felt at home, partying, it was one of his frequent ways to pass the time before the island, and now, it just felt wrong.

The music was too loud, he couldn't hear his own footsteps, it all just felt wrong. Or perhaps it always felt wrong, and he was lying to himself for years.

Oliver watched Laurel and Tommy talk, but couldn't hear them despite not being that far away. He watched as their heads turned towards the door, to see Thea. He knew that Thea would be stubborn enough to believe that she could come to the party, despite being told not to.

Oliver watched as Thea cockily strutted towards Tommy, and told him that she had a fake ID, so for all intents and purposes, she was twenty-one. Oliver did notice that Thea's brashness almost disappeared when she addressed Laurel. Laurel always had the same effect on him, as she did on his little sister. She had a way to make them want to be better. Oliver snarled as he watched Thea purchase drugs from the bastard again, the same prick that had sold drugs over his father's grave. Over _his_ grave. The bastard was facilitating his sister to an early grave. He watched him skip up the stairs, and Oliver silently followed him like a specter. After the drug dealer had gone to the bathroom, Oliver slammed him against the wall.

Oliver disguised his voice in a low growl and pinned him. "Stay away from Thea Queen!"

It didn't take long for the bastard to recognize him despite his hood, and facial hair. He snorted as he insinuated that he was going to tell the world that Oliver Queen was still alive. An image of Thea's petite body in the boot of a car, with a needle in her arm, came to the forefront of his mind. And that's when he snapped. He wouldn't let anything happen to his family. He grabbed the man in a hold and snapped his neck before he could stab Oliver. He tossed the body over the railing and down into the sea of people below.

He watched as The Cops had come pretty quickly, he watched as Detective Lance and his partner started getting witness statements. He heard Lance's partner mention that it could be a vigilante just like the guy who has been stalking The Glades, preying on the criminal underworld. _The Panther. The Man In Black._

Oliver watched as Quentin spoke to Tommy, Thea, and Laurel. He watched as the man that he considered to be something akin to a paternal father figure that he could strive to be like. A man that he had always respected. Lance looked so broken. He snapped at his own daughter, and at Thea.

He had broken Quentin Lance and caused him to become a drunk. Just another person that he had hurt and betrayed by taking Sara on his father's boat. He had broken the man that he had respected. He had not just ruined Laurel's life, or his family's but he had also thrown a grenade into the Lance family. He deserved every barbed comment and slight that Lance had given to Laurel, Thea, and Tommy, not them.

It wasn't until detective Lance looked away from his daughter that Oliver lightly shoved Laurel and discreetly placed a note in her purse, asking her to look after Thea, that she needed a mentor figure. And that he wished her the best, and that he loved her, and for her not to tell anyone, or she would be in danger.

It was only a few seconds later that Oliver felt after he got a small whiff of Laurel's perfume, that made him feel even more homesick, did he feel a gun shoved into the back of his ribs. "Keep walking," Maseo commanded him in a whisper, before directing him into the car.

He listened to Maseo's lecture before he snapped. He told Maseo that he didn't care about China White or ARGUS. He had issues that he had caused in his own home. His friends and family were broken because he had made stupid decisions. He may not be able to rewind time to change it, but he could at the very least try to minimize their suffering, couldn't he?

Once they got out of the car and back into the seedy motel, Oliver had a gun pointed to his head, and it was then that he heard Amanda Waller's voice. "I don't think you grasp the concept of anonymity Mister Queen." She then looked at one of her agents and nodded. Oliver received a hard blow to his ribs, and once to his sternum. He coughed and spluttered from the physical abuse.

"Is…" Waller looked at a manila folder. "Is this Dinah Laurel Lance someone so important that you are willing to risk everything for?"

Oliver clenched his jaw as he glared at the woman. "Perhaps sending you back to your home town has reawakened your rebellious streak? You don't mask your rebellion well do you, Mister Queen?" She asked, gesturing to his facial hair. "We know that you gave Miss Lance a package. If you don't want her to be found in a ditch, or in the curb, you will tell me what you gave her." When Oliver didn't answer, she smirked. "Doesn't matter. Maseo will deal with her and retrieve the package. If she is aware, she will not breathe a word of it." A small vindictive smile was now on her lips, "A mugging gone wrong. Imagine the domino effect it would have for everyone you love."

Oliver turned to look at Maseo, who held his own feelings behind a facade. His friend, Maseo, was gone and replaced by Agent Yamashiro. A stark reminder that he was alone and had no power. He wanted to beg the man that he had considered a friend not to kill Laurel. Laurel was the only person keeping him sane. Not even Waller knew what he was capable of if he didn't have his North Star.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel got out of her car and headed to her apartment, it was then when a car with black tinted windows pulled up beside her, and a man wearing a ski mask jumped out. "Give me your handbag!" Laurel started backing up slowly, and when he reached for her bag, she slugged him across the jaw, before running off in the other direction.

A large man dropped down from the roof of the adjacent building, Laurel's eyes darted between the man with the gun, who had demanded her purse, and the newcomer. She clutched her purse close to her chest, her knuckle stung from when she had punched the man in the jaw.

Her attacker didn't notice the newcomer and kept walking towards her, a knife in hand. "Don't be stubborn. Is your life worth a stupid bag?"

The Man in Black advanced onto him, sporting a predatorial smirk, as he cocked his head side to side, she could just make out the sickly popping noises of his neck cracking. He then moved towards the pair of them, making final adjustments to the white wraps that contrasted to the rest of his dark clothes. "Take a step back from the girl."

The would-be robber looked at her, before aiming his gun at her savior, a red dot resting on his chest. "Who are you?"

"Someone not to be trifled with. I won't ask again, let the girl go." Without missing a beat, the man with boxing wraps twisted the gun out of the man's hands, he then unloaded the magazine and removed the final bullet from the chamber, tossing the magazine, and the gun in opposite directions. While he was busy with the gun, her robber snatched the bag from her, and narrowly missed her with a knife.

Her purse flew over the wet ground, the man with boxing wraps moved in, The Man In Black grabbed the thug's arm and slammed his knee into his wrist relieving him of his knife. He sent a left hook, sending him to the ground.

Her savior moved towards her, his hands raised, and gently touched her shoulder. "It will be alright, Miss."

"Who are you?" Laurel asked, as her heart thumped in her chest.

"Wildcat." Wildcat. He was the vigilante she had heard people talk about in hushed whispers.

When they turned back, they watched as the man jumped into the car, clutching his jaw, before the unmarked sedan sped off into the night. She knelt down to pick up her belongings and noticed that Wildcat, the vigilante, was doing the same.

After everything was picked up, he handed her a card. "I think you forgot this."

She looked at the card to see a snarling panther and had the address of a gym in the Glades. "That's not mine." She said, slightly shaken as she gestured towards the card.

"I think that the owner would love to see you there. You have spunk and determination, something that the people here in Starling and The Glades could use. Laurel watched as the man vaulted over the fence with ease. Laurel looked back at the card, and she knew what she was going to do. She was going to visit Wildcat's gym

Laurel panted as she looked down to see a ripped piece of paper. With a simple word that was smudged thanks to the wet ground. _Speedy_. The last time she saw her friend was at Tommy's party, and she seemed more rebellious than the sweet girl she knew. Perhaps having a friendly ear could help her with some of her issues? Maybe she could try to prevent Thea from taking up the same vices as Sara and Oliver?

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver waited in his locked hotel room. His hands pressed against his face. He had just killed Laurel. There was no way she was just going to hand over anything to an armed man. Maseo had warned him not to do anything stupid, that it would backfire on him.

The door opened, and Oliver looked up to see Maseo, with a swollen jaw, his handler threw a soaked piece of paper at him. Oliver looked down at the piece of paper.

> _Pretty Bird,_
> 
> _I know that thinking of me must bring you a mixed bag of emotions, and that is putting it lightly. I take full responsibility for all the chaos that has happened to our families since The Gambit sunk. I hate to tell you like this, but Sara didn't make it. I'm sorry. And I don't want you to hate her. I can only imagine what you think of us, of what we did, but it's not true. We never slept together._
> 
> _I know that you don't owe me anything, but please look after my sister, she is an innocent in all of this. If not for me, do it for her, for…_
> 
> _With all my love,_ _Oliver._

He could at least hope that since she never got to read the message, she at the very least got to see Thea's nickname. Hopefully, Laurel can offer Thea guidance from a woman who has always been an older sister to her.

"Is she?" Oliver asked, unsure if he wanted an answer to Laurel's fate.

"She's alive, she was saved by a third party." He frowned, gesturing to his shoulder. "Don't do anything so stupid like that." Maseo walked to the door, before looking back. "Your girlfriend has a mean right hook," Maseo said with a gesture to his jaw sported a half-smirk before he left.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this one-shot, but I did enjoy the concept and the tease of Laurel becoming the Black Canary by the time Oliver returns home.


End file.
